Jharsuguda to Host Its First-Ever Ganesh Puja Awards; Public Voting to Celebrate Creativity, Devotion and Community Spirit

Jharsuguda: In a first-of-its-kind initiative for the city, the Jharsuguda Ganesh Puja Awards 2026 is being organized under the banner of the Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee (JPAC) in collaboration with local digital platform JSGLIVE.IN.

The initiative has been jointly conceptualised by Shidharth Awasthy, Ritesh Sharma and Krishna Mundra, with the objective of recognising and encouraging the extraordinary efforts, creativity and dedication of Ganesh Puja committees across Jharsuguda.

Every year, Puja committees invest tremendous time, effort and resources to create innovative pandals, beautiful Ganesh idols, disciplined arrangements and memorable celebrations that attract thousands of visitors. The Jharsuguda Ganesh Puja Awards seeks to bring these efforts into the spotlight and provide a platform where the people of Jharsuguda can appreciate and reward the committees that make the festival special.

Beyond its religious and cultural significance, Ganesh Puja also contributes significantly to the local economy, creating opportunities for decorators, artisans, electricians, sound and lighting professionals, food vendors, small businesses and several other service providers. The organisers believe that encouraging larger, more creative and well-managed celebrations can further strengthen Jharsuguda’s cultural identity while generating greater public participation and economic activity.

The awards will carry attractive cash prizes across different categories. The Best Pandal & Decoration will receive ₹31,000, while the Best Ganesh Idol will be awarded ₹21,000. The Most Disciplined & Cleanest Pandal will receive ₹11,000, and the Best Visarjan will be awarded ₹21,000. In addition, four creators producing outstanding videos or reels showcasing the spirit and grandeur of Jharsuguda Ganesh Puja will receive ₹5,100 each.

“For the past two years, we had been thinking about creating a platform that could recognise the tremendous effort put in by our Puja committees. This year, the idea has finally materialised with the support of JSGLIVE.IN. Our objective is not merely to give awards, but to honour the dedication of the organisers and inspire them to make Ganesh Puja in Jharsuguda bigger, better and more creative every year,” said Shidharth Awasthy, Organiser, Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee.

To make the initiative transparent and accessible to everyone, the organisers have developed a dedicated online voting platform at awards.jsglive.in.

Online voting will remain open from September 14 to September 30, 2026. Residents will be able to select their preferred Puja pandal through its dedicated QR code and cast their vote in different categories using mobile OTP verification.

“We wanted the people of Jharsuguda to become an integral part of the awards. Through our online voting platform, anyone can conveniently vote for the Puja committees they feel deserve recognition. At the same time, the final result will not depend on public voting alone. A panel of 10 jury members will independently evaluate the participating Puja committees, and their scores will be combined with the public voting results before the final winners are declared,” said Ritesh Sharma, Organiser, Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee.

He appealed to residents to participate enthusiastically and support their favourite Puja committees by voting in large numbers.

Highlighting the broader vision behind the initiative, Krishna Mundra, Organiser, Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee, said, “Since this is the first time such an initiative is being organised in Jharsuguda, we believe it will create a new enthusiasm among both Puja committees and residents. It will motivate organisers to bring greater creativity, discipline and innovation to their celebrations while giving citizens an opportunity to recognise the best among them. We also appeal to social organisations, institutions and citizens of Jharsuguda to come forward, support this initiative and become a part of this celebration.”

The organisers envision the Jharsuguda Ganesh Puja Awards developing into an annual celebration that not only recognises the best Puja committees but also strengthens the city’s cultural heritage, community participation and festive tourism.

With the spirit of “Our Pandal, Our Pride”, the Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee has called upon citizens to celebrate, participate and vote for the Puja that inspires them the most.

Voting Platform: awards.jsglive.in

Voting Period: September 14–30, 2026

Organised by: Jharsuguda Puja Awards Committee

In Collaboration With: JSGLIVE.IN

I’ve given it a stronger community-development, cultural pride and local-economy angle, so the initiative reads as more than just a competition and feels suitable for a formal press release.